When it comes to the health benefits of whole-foods over supplementation and the power of a plant-based diet, flavonoids are key.

Currently, there are around 600 different known flavonoids - it is by far the most diverse class of nutrients that we will discuss this year.

Have you heard of this vitamin-like nutrient that is essential for human health? I admit, I must have glossed over this nutrient in my medical education, because it didn’t register on my radar other than as a supplement until a few years ago. In this week’s article, we will explore this nutrient and some of the structures and processes it is important for. We will then look at food sources and discuss supplementation.

Brassicas? What are those? Simply put, they are plants in the mustard family; another name for them is cruciferous vegetables. There is ample diversity among this family of plants, and the part that we eat varies widely between them. They all share a dense nutrient profile making them nutritional powerhouses! Let’s explore this plant family and learn more about why they get super-star status among vegetables.

Fruit is a plant-based, whole food that just about anyone can embrace. From children to picky eaters, the sweetness of fruit holds a special place in our hearts. This is for good reason! Before the invention of global commerce and modern food science, fruit and honey when in season were once our only readily available source of concentrated sweetness.

When considering a whole-foods-plant-based diet, nuts and seeds are one of our most abundant sources of healthy essential fats.  A small handful goes a long way to increasing your health and sustaining your energy, and they are non-perishable and easily transported convenience food.

Grains: without them civilization as we know it may have never fully developed. The story of human history is tightly entwined with that of grains. From the gathering, processing, and storing of small grass seeds to the plump, full cereals of today, we and grains have grown and evolved together.

This week, we are continuing our discussion of foods that are a wealth of nutrition. Last week we discussed greens, and this week we will talk about beans. Beans and greens make up the bulk of my diet and after reading these two articles, I’m sure you will see why.

These nutritional powerhouses are often overlooked. They aren’t as sexy as a big juicy steak, but pound for pound, they have a more diverse set of nutrients to offer, and are easier on your wallet and our planet!

Greens are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Let’s take a deeper look at these nutritional powerhouse leaves.

This week, we will cover added sugars and the harms they cause to our personal and societal health. The history of sugar is a tragic one that is often overlooked. By the end of this article, you will strongly wonder why U.S. tax dollars are used to subsidize this harmful crop at the expense of our health, economy, and public safety.

Fiber is an unsung hero of our health. Increasing our intake can prevent disease, treat disease, and help us maintain a healthy weight without sacrificing our appetite or our taste buds. This week, let’s discuss what fiber is, the different types of fiber, what fiber can prevent, what it can treat, and how to incorporate more fiber into our diet without uncomfortable bloating or embarrassing gas.

In this week’s article, we will cover the following topics:

What are carbohydrates in general, and what are the different kinds of carbohydrates?

Why do we need carbohydrates?

How many carbs do we need?

What happens if we eat too many or too few?

What are healthy food sources of carbohydrates?

Gluten - what about gluten?

This week, we will explore protein. What is protein and why do we need it? What is a complete protein? How much protein do you need? What are good food sources of protein?

This week, I summarize two great lectures on food and its role on inflammation and your health.

This week, we will explore the topic of fat.  This group of nutrients has gotten a bad reputation in the name of unwanted weight gain and heart disease.  While certain types of fat are associated with poor health outcomes, others are necessary for life.  By the end of this article, my hope is that you will have a better understanding of and relationship to fat. 

Are organic products healthier? How much healthier? Are there different kinds of organic? What about those other labels, do they mean anything or are they just marketing?

My goal is to help make all of this a bit easier to understand, so you can know what you’re getting yourself into the next time you see these labels.

Vitamins and minerals are natural substances found in food that are needed for life, development, and healing. This week we will touch on the diseases that can result from severe deficiency of each of the major vitamins and minerals as well as a few additional essential nutrients.

Some medical situations result in nutrient loss or a higher need for nutrients. This week we will look at a handful of more common medical conditions and medications that can cause this. I’ve also included a link to a website where you can evaluate your medications to look for nutritional gaps.

Let’s look at some of the most popular eating plans out there. We will look at their claims, weigh the research, and look at some of the risks for each. This will help you as you evaluate your eating habits. We will start with a consideration of how food is more than nutrition and what to do if you find yourself obsessing over food.

Nutritional supplements get a lot of play in the world of alternative medicine, yet they do not receive much scrutiny.  A supplement is anything that you take that isn’t food or a medication, and are often purchased in grocery stores and online.  Others are purchased in stores devoted exclusively to selling supplements like Vitamin World or GNC, and still more are sold directly by members of your community in the form of MLMs like Juice Plus, Herbalife, Doterra or Young Living.  In these settings, supplements are being sold and advice is being given by people whose only training comes from the companies they are selling for.  This gives the illusion that supplements are safe for just about everyone.

With all the heroic claims made about some supplements, people’s desire to turn to what they perceive as more natural options, and a lack of guidance from their medical doctors regarding nutrition, it’s no wonder people find themselves the victims of some pretty slick marketing strategies.  

When we think of nutrition, it’s easy to imagine spending time reading food labels, counting calories, and bottles of vitamins crowding our cabinets and counters.  Let’s look past this more commercial and weight loss focused version of nutrition to see it for what it really is.